Does Applebee's Really Have A Drink Limit? Here's What To Know Before You Go

Going out with your friends for a booze-loaded night of laughter and strong drinks can get expensive — and fast. It's unsurprising to shell out $15 to $18 on a cocktail, and even Happy Hour prices can add up quickly. In this economy, it doesn't seem logical to be spending this type of money on drinks, but there's another solution: Applebee's. Here, you can sip on a $6 Watermelon Mana Margarita alongside our favorite Applebee's appetizers, like Chicken Wonton Tacos. While the chain probably doesn't use the perfect margarita recipe, it still sounds too good to be true. Before you roll up into Applebee's expecting to order four or more of these low-priced drinks, know that some Applebee's have a drink limit.

Applebee's is a franchise, which means each location has the right to operate differently, and not every location will enforce a drink limit. However, according to social media platforms and Reddit, it appears that the average cut-off is after three drinks. The user @peacockexperience on TikTok is a bartender at Applebee's, and she confirmed the three-drink limit, explaining that drinks can be served one at a time, and a manager or bartender will notify you when you've reached the limit. 

It doesn't matter what type of alcohol you are drinking; it seems that beer, wine, or cocktails all have the same cap. This cap could be determined by the state your Applebee's is in, as a number of states are subject to the regulations of an Alcoholic Beverage Control commission or agency that handles all things related to alcohol sales, from licensing of establishments to training to enforcement.

While this drink limit is not officially stated on its website, and it seems that some customers have gotten around the cap, assume that when you sit down at the fast casual bar and grill, there are only so many Long Island iced teas you can drink. We know what you're thinking: Are the drinks strong enough here to make you feel buzzed, or even drunk?

If you stick to beer or wine, the alcohol percentage is not going to be up for debate — you'll always know, more or less, how much you're consuming. However, when it comes to cocktails, the alcohol percentage is questionable. Many of the drinks are cloyingly sweet and may be more of a sugar bomb than a boozy cocktail. For example, the Top Shelf Long Island Iced Tea is one of the cocktails with the lowest sugar content, containing 19 grams of sugar, while the Shark Bowl is packed with an eye-opening 116 grams.

The cocktails do contain alcohol, but perhaps not at the level you might expect — or the quality you might want. A former Applebee's bartender told Allrecipes that for the former Dollarita margarita cocktail, the mix consisted of well tequila (that varied at each location) and a bottled margarita mix. Not too bad for $1 — but apparently at this bartender's location, the rest of the plastic storage container was filled up with tap water. Applebee's margaritas ranked quite low in customer reviews, so don't be surprised if your cocktail tastes weak, watered down, or too sugary, meaning you may not actually enjoy drinking more than the standard limit of three.